Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Kim McGuiness has vowed to continue the fight against 'county lines’ drugs gangs plaguing the North East.
‘County Lines’ is the practice of transporting and selling drugs in rural areas by criminal gangs. Often gangs will exploit children and vulnerable adults to sell the drugs.
According to figures from the Office for National Statistics, the North East of England has seen the highest levels of drug misuse for a seventh year running. There have been 252 drug related deaths recorded in the region between October 2019 and April 2022.
Read More: Large cannabis factory is found in a former police station
The PCC has pledged to ensure Northumbria Police continue to enforce the law and disturb the drugs trade at all levels. However, the PCC did also stress the importance of education and outreach to help the most vulnerable get out of or walk away from a life of crime.
In addition, the PCC is committed to work with other organisations to re-establish drug treatment options which have been lost during austerity cuts.
Ms McGuinness said: “It's a huge concern tackling drugs, we will as a group of local authorities establish a joint tackling drugs partnership which will receive some new money from the government. But at the same time we keep focusing on all that previetion work via the vdr to make sure people get the help they need not to get involved in the first place.”
To date, 20,000 young people have received drugs education to ward them off dealing and the consumption of drugs over 200 sessions. However, the PCC also made it plain this was only part of tackling the North East’s drug problem and it would be in conjunction with thorough police work.
“At the same time,” Kim said, “I make no apologies for saying this in the harshest possible terms, making sure those who bring drugs into our area and are involved in serious and organised crime absolutely get the full weight of that law thrown at them, for everything for the drugs offences, the exploitation, for the weapons and all the rest of it.”
The crime report discussed some police successes in disrupting the drug trade in the North East. In February 2022, police operation ‘Hercules’ seized 50kg of cocaine and 30kg of crystal meth with an estimated street value of £11m.
In the last 12 months Northumbria Police have executed 82 arrest warrants and 307 arrests with £277,546 in cash seized.
Policing is "in crisis" despite "real terms" funding boost, warns Police Federation
Sunderland illegal immigrant cannabis farmer was paid with clothes and trips to London and Scotland
Cannabis grow with 130 plants uncovered after police raid County Durham property
Suspected drug dealer charged after Newcastle raid uncovers haul with street value of nearly £1m
